About 130 people gathered yesterday for the 2008 Life Chain, sponsored by Christian Citizens for Life. This is the first Life Chain in several years in Bloomington, and it stretched for over a half mile along busy East Third Street. The Life Chain is part of a combined effort of several Christian churches in Bloomington to combat the killing of unborn children. Over the past year, CCFL has sponsored the Rally for Life on the courthouse square, an entry into the Fourth of July parade, and a booth at the Monroe County Fair. CCFL was also active in opposing the City of Bloomington's annual handout to Planned Parenthood. (See previous articles here, here and here)

Abortion opponents held signs that read "Jesus heals and forgives", Adoption: the loving option" and, of course, "abortion kills children. The peaceful demonstration was meant to raise awareness of abortion in Bloomington, especially since we have an abortion clinic just a few blocks from the seat of county government. Response was mostly positive, with honks, waves and a few "thumbs up". As expected, there were a few obscene hand gestures, but one incident in particular was completely inappropriate.

As a van drove by, the pro-abortion individual in the passenger seat pulled down his pants and exposed his rear end to the crowd. This childish and uncivil act was completely inappropriate. Whatever one may think about abortion and whether it should be legal, there is absolutely no reason to expose yourself as a means of political protest. There were several small children at the demonstration who should not have been forced to see this.

I am writing to report a hate incident. Around 2:50 p.m. today, a group of Christians were quietly and peacefully picketing against abortion along East Third Street. A van drove by, with the individual in the front passenger seat fully exposing his buttocks and hanging his buttocks out of the window of the van. While I expect and have seen many obscene finger gestures and heard profanities yelled at these demonstrations, I believe that this indecent exposure rises to the level of a "hate incident". This was clearly meant to offend. While this kind of indecent exposure is always offensive, it was worse due to the presence of small children.